Hi-Line Arts Council sponsors Phil Aaberg Christmas concert

Press release

The Hi-Line Arts Council, a newly formed organization focused on supporting and promoting arts, culture and creative expression, is sponsoring a free online holiday concert by renowned pianist Philip Aaberg.

“I’m so happy to bring you all some Christmas cheer and help usher in the new and hopeful era of the Hi-Line Arts Council, especially from my studio in Chester,” Aaberg said. “I’ve been giving solo piano Christmas concerts for 34 years, and it’s one of my favorite things to do because people are open, charitable and at their best. Let’s raise the spirit.”

Aaberg is a Chester native who has received both Grammy and Emmy nominations and is Harvard educated. The concert will be streamed live on YouTube from Aaberg’s recording studio in Chester Sunday at 4 p.m.

To sign up to watch the concert, people can go online to http://hilineartscouncil.org . Registration is free and only requires an email address. There is also a link to donate to the Hi-Line Arts Council to further support the work of promoting the arts on the Hi-Line.

The Hi-Line Arts Council formed with the aim of sponsoring high-quality artistic endeavors for the region. The Council developed following a Reimagining Rural webinar series sponsored by Montana State University Extension and the Montana Community Foundation. The purpose of the series was to engage residents of rural Montana in developing projects that would enhance the livability of their communities. Havre participants in the Reimagining Rural webinar series placed the establishment of an Arts Council as one of their top priorities.

“During a year that has been so challenging for everyone, this high-spirited, high-energy Christmas concert by Phil Aaberg, a composer who has enjoyed international acclaim and is a product of the Hi-Line, is exactly what we need right now,” said Paul Tuss, executive director of Bear Paw Development Corp., who is part of the organizing committee for the Arts Council. “As we celebrate this holiday season with friends and family, let’s spend this time together enjoying each other’s company with some wonderful Christmas music.”

The generosity of several sponsors has enabled this free concert to be a gift to the people of the Hi-Line and beyond. These sponsors include Northern Montana Health Care, Bear Paw Development Corp., Montana State University-Northern, Western Drug Pharmacy, McDonald’s of Havre, Gary & Leo’s Fresh Foods, BNSF Railway, Debbie Vandeberg and Montana Actors’ Theatre.